Ball-and-socket pipe-coupling.



A. H GOOPER. BALL AND SOCKET PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED 3111.31, 1912.

1,057,939. Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

ANDREW H. COOPER, or MULBERRY, FLORIDA.

BALL-AND-SOGKET PIPE-GO'UPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January-31, 1912. Serial No. 674,541.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, ANDREW H. CO PER, citizen of the United States, residing at Mulberry, in the county of Polk and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-and- Socket Pipe-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to ball and socket pipe couplings, and has for its object the production of a joint for piping of any kind, that may be turned in any direction out of alinement with the remainder of the piping, and which comprises parts having special construction and arrangement with. respect to each other whereby it is I, believed less frictional resistance is created to the fluid passing the joint than is met her A, constituting the socket element, hasv the internal bell-mouth a, and aretaining rin B secured by bolts 12. In a suitable cavlty formed between the socket member A and the retaining ring B, by recessing both the socket member and the ring as shown, is a bull ring C, on either side of which is a ringof metal packing D and E. The packing bears against the inner or' ball member F. It will be understood that when the socket memtienand retaining ring are clamped toward each jother, the packing rings D and E are; "pressed against the bullrin C and fgainst the ball member F. The iall memb'r'F has a bell-mouth f formed by turning the wall of the ball F' convergently inward, making the curved rentrant flange illustrated, and the bellsocket member and rin mouth so formed constitutes the opening through which fluid may enter or leave the pipe lining G, located in the ball member F. The rentrant flange is marked 9 The reason for constructing the ball member F hollow and turningits wall inwardly into a bell-mouth is to save weight in comparatively large size joints. It would be impracticable on account of the weight to make the ball member solid. The lining G as illustrated extends into the smaller end of the bell-mouth and is made flush with the inner surface thereof, forming an unbroken continuation of the bell-mouth.

To aid in making a tight joint, the ring B that retains the ball member in place, is provided with rings of packing H and h, which may be of asbestos or the like. The packing rings H and h are retained by the ring J. It will be noted that the packing rings H and h are located in an annular recess formed in the retaining ring B, and that the recess. opens upon the curved surface of the ball member F. The recess also opens exteriorly toward the right in Fig. 1, and, if the flat ring J be removed, the packing rings H and k may be taken out and renewed without disconnecting the retaining ring B and the socket member A.

In the operation of this invention, the fluid passing through the coupling encounters the internal bell-mouths a. and f, and the stream takes the forms of those mouths approximately, and 7 there is no abrupt change of the shape of the fluid passage, and no recesses internally presented to afford room for and to cause eddies in the path of the passing stream with corresponding resistance to its flow.

Having now described this invention and explaine its mode of operation, what I claim is In a ball and; socket pipe coupling, the combination with an outer socket member, of a retaining ringand means constructed to clamp the ring. and socket member together, a hollow ball member fitting said interiorlyand ar-' ranged to be held mova ly in place by said ring, the wall of said memberbeing extended convergently inward and constructed to form a bell-mouth, and the said ball member having a tubular portion extending into the smaller part of the bell mouth and forming a continuation thereof, the end of said tubular portion being formed flush with the inner surface of the bell-mouth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 1n presence of two wltnesses.

ANDREW H. COOPER. Witnesses I RICHARD HOUGHTON, JAs. F. BARGANIER. 

